Desjardins was asked about the second-period flareup that had him ready to fight the Admirals' Devante Smith-Pelly.

Although whatever happened burned in the goalie's mind at the time, he was a little fuzzy in recalling what precipitated the dispute.

"It's just a hockey play. I don't think I can comment on anything there,'' Desjardins said. "I don't remember the whole thing.''

What's certain is that Smith-Pelly, who prides himself on his skills of irritation in front of the net, ignited the tiff by getting called for goalie interference at the 10:36 mark. The two tangled on the ice, then both stood up.

Smith-Pelly pushed Desjardins, and the goalie then backed up in preparation to circle around and fight. That spectacle was short-circuited when Syracuse defenseman Luke Witkowski came flying through the air to sack Smith-Pelly.

"I guess he probably didn't like that I was in front of him all night,'' Smith-Pelly said of Desjardins. "He was yapping in my face. I'm just waiting for him to (drop the gloves). Then I saw the other guy (Witkowski) come in and tackle me.''

Goalies from both sides roughed it up a bit Friday. The decisive play of the game might have come 1:36 earlier when Norfolk netminder John Gibson drew what appeared to be a phantom interference penalty on Syracuse captain Mike Angelidis.

The play came about a $5 cab ride from Gibson's crease. With Syracuse leading 3-0 and killing a penalty, Angelidis chased a loose puck into the Norfolk zone for what could have been a breakaway.

At the same time, Gibson burst out of his crease headed for the biscuit as well. The rules dictate that the skater must try to yield in that situation. But Angelidis claimed a Norfolk player cut him off and forced his path toward the puck and into an intersection with Gibson, and a collision couldn't be avoided.

It was a bang-bang play, and easily could have been waved off as simply two aggressive players trying to make something happen. But referee Jon McIsaac ruled that somehow Angelidis should have changed his full-speed trajectory and veered off on a dime. He whistled Angelidis for interference, setting up a 5-on-3 Admirals power play and a eventually a goal.

"I had no chance to avoid him,'' Angelidis said. "There was nowhere I could go. He hit me pretty good. I don't want to hurt a goalie coming out like that. I don't think it should have been a penalty.''

Admirals coach Trent Yawney disputed Angelidis' version of his intentions.

"I don't think you want to see that in the game,'' Yawney said. "You can't hit the goalie. There's no place for that any more. He made no effort to get out of the way.''

Later in the second, Angelidis found himself in the cauldron again. After a series of skirmishes, Angelidis and Ads captain Garnet Exelby gathered at the penalty box circle for an explanation of the penalties.

Exelby started yapping at Angelidis about an earlier play, and Angelidis answered right back. The two glowered at each other, and Exelby took a swing at Angelidis. The two would have gone at it right then and there but they were separated and sent to the box themselves.

"It was just a little talking to each other. Both guys are willing to battle. It's one of those things,'' Angelidis said.

"It had the makeup of being a good, old-fashioned hockey game at the War Memorial,'' Yawney said of the contest in general.

Whatever ill will lingers can be addressed tonight, when the Crunch hosts Norfolk again at 7 p.m.

"I think it's going to be around the same type of game. They are a big, physical team. That's the way we need to play,'' said Crunch forward Drew Olson.